A Step
by Rina Statics
Summary: No one ever said relationships were easy, but how do you make yours work when you don't even know what you mean to one another? These issues are questioned, as two friends bunk in for the night.


A Step

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy belongs to Square enix, not me. Testuya Nomura character designed Cloud, Tifa and many other FF characters, I'm just borrowing them for the time being. )

Summary: No one ever said relationships were easy, but how do you make yours work when you don't even know what you mean to one another? These issues are questioned, as two friends bunk in for the night. Cloti. One-Shot.

It was around midnight. when Cloud pulled up to 7th Heaven, he had just finished his last delivery and was eager to settle in for the night. Being the perceptive type, he noticed that a light was on upstairs, funny. Tifa was usually asleep by this hour, she must have waited up for him again, either that or she had forgotten to turn off the light in their room again. Not that it was a bad habit of hers, but leaving the lights on was something she would do, when she was restless at least.

Edge was a town very similar to Midgar, after all, most of its children had come from the now abandoned city. Midgar had also been a city ridden with crime, so it was no surprise that this town had the same amount of thieves as its predecessor, this is why Cloud took extra effort to hide his motorcycle from eager criminals, who would either sell it or go out for a joy ride on it. Cloud was a strong man, stealing from him was a bad idea, but precautions had to be taken.

Upon entering the house. Cloud looked around the first floor, which was meant to be a living room for a normal family, he and Tifa had converted it into a bar almost three years ago. No one was down stairs, It was just Cloud being cautious again, checking for any one who would dare sneak in after hours to steal booze, or stalk Tifa. It had happened before, good thing Tifa could defend herself, other wise Cloud would have been extremely worried, he already feared Tifa being attacked by men, but as long as she practiced her skills, Cloud knew that she would be fine without him.

Climbing up the stairs, the blond headed straight for the bedroom that he and Tifa shared. The house that they had settled in was big enough for a bar, but there were a limited number of rooms. One for Barret and Marlene, it was mostly Marlene's; since Barret was always off on a W.R.O mission. Another for Denzel, and one for Tifa and Cloud, all in all three bedrooms.

They had shared rooms before,Tifa and Cloud. At inns and such, so it was no longer awkward staying in the same room, they changed clothes in the bathroom, or when the other was out of the room, there was still SOME things that remained awkward. 'Don't share too much you two!' Barret had joked once, how perverted Barret's thoughts were at times.

Besides, their relationship was not like that...was it?.

Turning the knob, the door opened with slight creek. Cloud cursed himself mentally, he had wanted to enter the room quietly, he did not want to wake Tifa if she was sleeping. Setting his things to the side, he closed the door behind him, Cloud stared at the separate twin beds before him.

She was awake,Tifa was sitting on her bed, her legs crossed with her back to him, Cloud sighed, she had waited up for him. She must have been worried about him again, some nut on the phone must have called her up to scare her, that her pal would no longer be coming home. Cloud had met a pair of young boys out in central who were calling the Strife delivery service, giggling at what ever the girl on the phone said. Cloud had snatched the phones away from those to boys , sent them on their ways; with the threat that if they were ever to step foot in 7th heaven, or prank anyone in his family again that Cloud would come after them.

But what had happened earlier...was it related to how Tifa was feeling now?,Cloud set another bag aside. He then walked over to his side of the bed, he was about to lay down on it when he noticed that it was stained, his blanket and bed had been trashed by paint!.

"I was really upset earlier" Tifa croaked, turning sharply to look at her, cloud noticed that her eyes were red and puffy "I got calls about you earlier today, said something had happened to you...I knew that they were lying" she sniffed "but they really got under my skin".

"So...because you were worried bout me...you came in and trashed my bed?" Cloud asked her, still confused on exactly why his bed was wet and dirty.

"No" Tifa sighed, sounding a tad more relaxed; she cleared her throat "Denzel came into our room he tried to paint me a picture, and he dropped his carrier on your bed, it spilled every where" Tifa confessed, poor denzel, he had only wanted to make tifa feel better and instead; he ended up with filthy twin bed, with sheets that had to be washed, come morning.

"Denzel you say?" Cloud kicked at the bed and sighed "I guess ill be sleeping on the floor" Cloud announced and strode over to the closet, in his arms, Cloud carried blankets and pillows, and threw them down on the floor. He was preparing his bed for the night. He'd wash the sheets in the morning before he took off for his next delivery.

"Cloud" Tifa called to him, Cloud was all ears "I was...really worried about you...I know I should stop listening to these prank callers, but it...its really hard not too. I worry about you Cloud and I wonder sometimes if you worry about us as well" Tifa trailed of at that point, Cloud sat up from his temporary floor bed, his eyes staring directly into Tifa's.

"There's no reason for you to worry about me" Cloud spoke softly "You know I can take care of myself, and that I'm here for you...for us our family" Cloud said the first thing that came to mind, his family, they really were his family now, and Tifa was a maternal figure for the kids...but what was she to him? A friend? A lover?.

"I know that...but you haven't answered my question" Tifa looked as if she were struggling to find the right words "I just want to know, do you worry about _us_, Marlene, Denzel and me"

Cloud did not know what to say, she had asked him that question before, and each time she had asked him he had avoided answering her. His best bet was to play it off again, yet somehow-from the look in her eyes. Cloud knew that he would not be able to avoid it this time, she wanted an answer, and now he too struggled to find the right words to say.

'You mean the world to me, you and the kids, hell even Barret and the guys!. And not a moment goes by that I don't fear losing all of you, I feel my knuckles tighten, and my breath quicken when I think about what _could_ happen to you and the kids Tifa, If I lose all of you, I will have failed again',I've failed my mother, Zack, Aerith...so many people, I just don't want to fail you too' no, he could not say that. She'd laugh at him, wouldn't she? Or would she scold him? Vincent would have criticized him-that's for sure!.

Looking up at her, Cloud realized, that there was no reason to hold what he felt inside back. Still he did, why? Was it that thing called fear again? Wicked little emotion fear was, why couldn't things be easier?, just this once! Couldn't things be easier?.

"I don't know what to tell you..."Cloud began, he saw Tifa sigh in frustration, she had heard this excuse many times before. Cloud knew that it was time to be honest with her, he'd just have to tone it down a bit "Except...that I do worry about you guys...I really do...please don't make me say more" Cloud said hastily, afraid that she'd make fun of him in some way.

"You know I'm not good at explaining what I feel" Cloud added, explaining himself in the only way he knew how. Again, he glanced up at her, expecting to see some sort of criticism in her eyes. Nothing, she only stared back at him, her eyes soft, and accepting.

It may not have been much of an answer...but it seemed to be enough for her.

"Cloud Strife..."Tifa whispered "You...You actually explained how you felt to me..." Tifa seemed surprise, she rested her hand on the bed, her face tilted downward-she was hiding a smile.

"You mean I haven't explained myself before?" Cloud retorted, his tone even and relaxed. Tifa shook her head.

"If you do, you rarely say anything to me" Tifa replied softly, she sounded more content, which made Cloud a bit happy on the inside.

"Like wise" Cloud wise cracked, catching Tifa off guard.

"I do too, tell you how I feel" she defended.

"If you do,You _rarely_ tell me" He remarked, this amused her, and Tifa smiled.

"Like I said, I do and you know it" she repeated, Cloud had to chuckle.

Maybe she had in the past, maybe she had not. Same with him, but whatever happened then, it was no longer important now. What mattered was the future, wow!. Even that was new to Cloud, that kind of philosophy had not been apart of his thoughts until recently.

"Lets agree to disagree then" Tifa suddenly optioned, Cloud nodded. She then turned of the lights, and the two began to settle up in their respective sleeping places. Cloud had both his hands behind his head, he breathed in, he felt uncomfortable on the floor.

It was then that Cloud felt something in him want to ask, something so bold. And out of place, he wondered if this was Zack's thinking coming back into his mind, like it had so many years ago, or maybe it had been Zack's influence period, it was something he knew he would have asked.

"Tifa..."Cloud quietly called out her name.

"Yes?" she replied, she spoke softly.

"Can I share the bed with you?" he asked, he heard her stir. Never in his life (never!) had he asked something so bold, or so private, to anyone, sure they shared a room. But a bed?. It was the answer that would shock the hell out of him, truly.

"You promise not to try anything?" Tifa questioned, to Cloud's surprise...she didn't seem all that bothered from his question, she was shy with her response, but not offended.

"I promise" He than got up from the floor, and walked over to the side of the bed, his eyes adjusted to the dark quickly and he was able to see Tifa move to give him some space. Once snuggled underneath the covers, Cloud felt that Tifa was uncomfortable, and on the verge of falling off of the bed!. He pulled her to him,her head was resting on his arm, he felt a little uncomfortable with her using him as a pillow, but she was after all; letting him share her bed.

Cloud felt her breath quicken, she was nervous, as was he. Cloud had never shared a bed with a girl, well maybe that one time, but it had been during his days in the Shinra army. It was different, this was Tifa, his friend Tifa!. Having her so close, was strange, even though they had been in one another's embrace before. Friendly ones though, Why was it so different this time?.

"Cloud.." Tifa whispered, a little tense. Cloud noticed his hand was on her shoulder, cuddling her tightly. He suddenly removed it.

"I'm sorry!" Cloud stuttered, embarrassed at where his hand had just been, imagine if it had been else where! How ashamed he would be then!.

"It's okay, I don't mind..."Tifa assured, a longing was in her voice. Cloud felt her hand rest on the side of his mid section, no where near personal, just above his hips. hearing this, Cloud returned his hand on her shoulder, she was covered up so it was no big deal.

It was then that the two really began to lighten up, this was a new step in their friendship, or relationship. Not a big one...but it was a step. Cloud felt his eyes grow heavy, he was close to drifting off to sleep, from the sound of Tifa's breathing, she was too.

"Tifa" Cloud rested his cheek on her forehead, he had lost his nerve "...Goodnight"

"Goodnight Cloud" Was her response.

Not a big step...but a step nonetheless.

-

Hi! this is Rina Static's, if you've read Cloudy Tifa, I'm the author of that fic. I wrote this story because I was in a mushy mood and felt like writing a fluffy Cloud and Tifa story. I'll be writing another chapter for Cloud Tifa if your interested, just have to finish it and have it sent to a beta first.

Thank you for reading, and please review!.

Rina


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